Menlyn Maine co-sponsors green building rating tool
By: Creamer Media Reporter
Property developer Menlyn Maine Investments will co-sponsor he development of the new multi-unit residential green building rating tool, which will be carried out by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). The multi-unit residential tool has passed the necessary pilot phases, and was expected to be launched in May 2011. This would be the third Green Star South Africa rating tool developed by the GBCSA. The office rating tool and the retail rating tool were developed based on the Australian Green Star, but adapted for South African climatic, regulatory and commercial environment. The multi-unit residential tool would also be based on the Australian rating tool. Menlyn Maine is mixed-use precinct under development in Tshwane, which has already stated that the office portion of the development will follow Green Star SA guidelines, and be rated and certified on completion. The developers are calling Menlyn Maine "Africa's first green city", and the project is one of 18 Clinton Climate Initiative green cities in the world, led by former US President Bill Clinton, and forming part of the Climate Positive Development Programme. The programme supports the concept of real estate developments that strive to reduce the amount of on-site carbon dioxide emissions to below zero. "We are pioneering the future towards carbon neutrality and the new GBCSA multi-unit residential rating tool will help us to garner the buy-in from our prospective residential tenants as well as the industry towards achieving a common goal towards environmental best practice," said Menlyn Maine project developer Justin Bowen. Bowen said that in South Africa, property developers and businesses were beginning to acknowledge that green buildings are just as fundamental to a sustainable future as any other green initiative. However, there was a need for accurate education around green buildings, and what green building operations, and benefits meant for an organisation. "The existing argument that green buildings can increase construction costs by around 5% should automatically be out-weighed by the long-term benefits around reduced levels of carbon dioxide emission and resource consumption, tenant comfort and environmental sustainability," said Bowen. He added that another benefit offered by green buiding was longevity. "It is a noted fact that a new building constructed today, that is not green will be obsolete in five years time - the cost to cover it to meet regulatory standards in five years time will be more than 5%. The other consideration is the issue of compliance, many business are coming under pressure from their clients to meet certain carbon standards, in order to be considered as a supplier or business partner." One of the significant benefits of green buildings were the lower operating costs for energy and water consumption. According to research published by the Green Building Council of Australia, green buildings consume 26% less energy than the average commercial building, and generate 33% less greenhouse gas emissions. 
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